Valve assembly for hot water dispensers of pressure type



Dec. 12, 1961 F. A. GlBlSER VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR HOT WATER DISPENSERS OF PRESSURE TYPE Filed Oct. 14, 1959 H1772 zzzlser! Patented Dec. 12, 1961 ice VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR HGT WATER DIS- PENSERS @F PRESSURE TYPE Frank A. Gibiser, Birmingham, Mich, assignor to Temprite Products Corporation, Birmingham, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Oct. 14, 1359, Ser. No. 846,356

3 Claims. (Cl. 137-334) This invention relates generally to hot water dispensers of the type which are connected to a supply of water under pressure and more particularly to a valve assembly for hot water dispensers of the pressure type.

Hot water dispensers of the type to which this invention relates are usually, but not necessarily, incorporated in a combination hot and cold water dispenser and are connected to a source of water under pressure such as a city water main. In a dispenser of this type, it is desirable to have the tank in which the water is heated open to atmos phere at all times, provide a vent passage for the excess water caused by thermal expansion of the water in the tank, position the vent line so that it will not become clogged with minerals in the water, and prevent unnecessary loss of hot water through the vent line. It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a valve assembly for a hot water dispenser which accomplishes the above desirable objectives and which is readily disassembled for cleaning of internal parts, has large clearances on the internal parts to prevent malfunctioning due to any mineral deposits, and provides for a positive engagement of the movable valve member with the seats therefor.

A further object of this invention is to provide a valve assembly for hot water dispenser apparatus of the pressure type which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and efficient in operation in providing for a supply of hot water when desired over a prolonged service life.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of hot water dispenser apparatus which includes the valve assembly of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the valve assembly of this invention in a closed position; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the valve assembly illustrated in FIGURE 2 showing. an open positron.

With reference to the drawing, the valve assembly of this invention, indicated generally at 10, is illustrated in FIG. 1 in hot water dispenser apparatus 11 which includes a water inlet pipe 12 connected to a source of water under pressure such as a city water pipe 13, a tank 14 in which water is heated by suitable heating means (not shown), and a nozzle 16 through which hot water from the tank 14 is discharged. The valve assembly 19 has a handle 20 which is actuated to provide for a supply of hot water to the nozzle 16. A line 22 extends from the valve assembly to the tank 14 for supplying water to be heated, hereinafter referred to as cold water, to the lower end of the tank 14, and a line 24 extends between the top end of the tank 14 and the valve assembly 10 for supplying hot water to the nozzle 16. A vent line 26 extends from the valve assembly 10 to a drain line 28, and a vacuum break 36 is incorporated in the line 26 to prevent the withdrawal of material from the drain line 28 through the vent line 26.

As shown in FIG. 2, the valve assembly 10' consists of a body 32 having a pair of vertically extending bores 34 and 36 extending therethrough. The bore 36 has an upper reduced portion 33, a lower enlarged portion 37 and an inclined shoulder 35 at the juncture of the portions 33 and 37. A nozzle or water inlet member 38 is mounted on the body 32 so that it projects into the lower end of the bore 36, and a seal plug 40 is mounted in the bore 36 adjacent the upper end thereof. The portion of the bore 36 between the nozzle 38 and the seal plug 40 constitutes a valve chamber 42 and a valve member 44, having a downwardly extending threaded cavity 46 and a lower insert 48 formed of a resilient material such as rubber, is mounted in the bore portion 37 for movement between a position seated on the nozzle 38, as shown in FIG. 2, and an upper position in which an 0 ring 50 on the valve member 44 resiliently engages the shoulder 35. A spring 52 in the bore portion 33 extends between the seal plug 40 and the valve member 44 for urging the valve member 44 to the closed position shown in FIG. 2. A rod 54 threaded at its lower end into the cavity 46 extends upwardly through the seal plug 46) and is connected at its upper end to the handle 20 which is operable on downward pivoted movement to move the rod 54 upwardly to a position in which the O ring 50 engages the inclined shoulder 35. The seal plug 40 carries an inner annular seal 56 which contacts the rod 54 and an outer annular seal 58 which engages the inner surface of the bore 36.

The valve body 32 is formed with a transverse passage 60 in which the vent line 26 is positioned and which communicates with the chamber 42 at a position above the inclined shoulder 35 and intermediate the ends of the chamber. A second transverse passage 62, which is inclined with respect to the passage 60, communicates with the valve chamber 42 at aposition below the inclined shoulder 35 and the line 22 extends into the passage 62. The upper end of the line 24 projects into the lower end of the bore 34.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the valve member 44 is in its lower position, seated on the nozzle 38, the line 22 communicates through the passage 62, the chamber 42 and the passage 6t) with the vent line 26. As shown in FIG. 3, when the valve member 44 is in its upper position, the 0 ring 50 seats on the shoulder 35 so as to positively block communication of the line 22 with the line 26, and open the nozzle 38 to the line 22.

A sleeve threaded on the upper end of the body 32 has a radially inwardly extending flange 74 which engages a cap 72 and holds it in a position retaining plug 40 in the bore 36. When the sleeve 70 and cap 72 are removed, the rod 54 can be grasped to withdraw the valve member 44, spring 52 and plug 40 from the bore 36. The outer diameter of the O ring 50 is slightly greater than the diameter of the bore portion 33 but the O ring 50 compresses enough to move through the bore portion 33 during withdrawal from the bore 36 and during insertion into the bore 36.

In use, when no water is being withdrawn from the tank 14, the valve member 44 is in the position shown in FIG. 2 closing the inlet line 12. Consequently, no cold water is being supplied to the tank 14 which is heated and provided with a suitable thermostatic control (not shown) to maintain the water therein at a desired temperature. Any excess water, due to thermal expansion of the heated water in the tank 14 rises in the line 22 and forces the water in line 22 into the chamber 42 for flow through the vent line 26 and into the drain 23. The vent line 26 is at a lower elevation than the nozzle 16 so that all the excess water will flow out the line 26 and there will not be any drip at the nozzle 16. Since the vent line 26 is exposed to only the water which results from thermal expansion, the danger of closing of the line 26 from mineral deposits, is substantially reduced. There is sufficient clearance between the bore portion 37 and the valve member 44 to prevent clogging of the path for water between line 22 and vent line 26 with mineral deposits. Furthermore, if

any excess hot water backs up in the line 22 far enough to reach the chamber 42, it has cooled off sufficiently to minimize the amount of mineral deposits in the valve assembly 10. When hot water is desired at the nozzle 16, the lever 20 is actuated to move the valve member 44 to the position shown in FIG. 3 in which it blocks communication of the vent line 26 with both the nozzle 38 and the line 22. Cold water entering the chamber 42 from the nozzle 38 flows into the line 22 and travels into the lower end of the tank 14 so as to force hot water in the tank 14 upwardly through the line 24 into the bore 34 in the valve body 32 and out the pipe 76 to the nozzle 16. Since the vent line 26 is completely separated from the hot water from the tank 14 during withdrawal of hot water through the nozzle 16, there is no danger that any of the hot water will be lost through the vent line 26.

It will be understood that the specific construction of the improved hot water dispenser which is herein disclosed and described is presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and is not intended to indicate limits of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hot water dispenser which is connected to a source of cold water under pressure and includes a tank in which water is heated, and a drain line, the improvement comprising: a valve assembly including a valve body having a pair of upright side by side bores extending therethrough, one of said bores communicating at the lower end thereof with said source, said one bore having an upper end section and a lower end section which is enlarged relative to said upper end section and having an inclined shoulder at the juncture of said sections, a cold water supply line for said tank connected at one end to said tank and at the opposite end to said body and communicating with said one bore at a position adjacent the lower end thereof, the other one of said bores communicatiug at the lower end thereof with said hot water tank at a position above the connection thereof with said cold water supply line, a vent line connected at one end to said drain line and at the opposite end to said valve body and communicating with said one bore at a position between the upper end thereof and the point at which said one bore communicates with said cold water supply line to said tank, a valve member insertable through the upper end of said one bore and movable to a position in said lower end portion thereof, an O ring formed of a resilient material and extended about said valve member, said O ring having an outer diameter greater than the diameter of said upper bore section and being movable to a seated position on said shoulder in one position of said valve member, said valve member being movable to a second position blocking flow of water from said source through said chamber and positioning said O ring in a spaced relation with said shoulder, whereby in said first position of the valve member cold water will travel thorugh said one bore to said cold water supply line and thence to said tank so as to force hot water out of the tank for flow to said other bore and said valve member blocks communication of said cold water supply line and said vent line, and in the second position of said valve member fluid flowing in said cold water supply line toward said valve member due to thermal expansion of water in the hot water tank flows through said one here to said vent line.

2. A hot water dispenser comprising: a tank having means therein for heating cold water; a valve including a valve body having a valve chamber therein, said valve chamber being of circular cross-section and defined by two adjoining bore portions, one of said portions being of larger diameter than the other; means defining a valve seat in said valve chamber between said large and small diameter portions; means defining an inlet passageway communicating said large diameter portion of said valve chamber with a source of cold water under pressure; means defining an outlet passageway communicating said large diameter portion of said valve chamber with said tank; discharge means connected to said tank through which heated water may be discharged from said tank when cold water is supplied thereto through said outlet passageway; means defining a vent passageway communicating said small diameter portion of said valve chamber with a drain; a movable valve member in said valve chamber, said valve member being of circular crosssection and having a maximum diameter less than the diameter of said small diameter portion of said valve chamber; sealing means on said valve member adapted to engage said valve seat; means normally urging said valve member to a first position wherein the inlet flow of cold water through said inlet passageway into said valve chamber is blocked and said vent passageway is in communication with said outlet passageway; and means for moving said valve member to a second position wherein said sealing member engages said valve seat to block communication between said vent passageway and said large diameter portion of said valve chamber and to place said cold water inlet passageway in communication with said outlet passageway, whereby cold water will be supplied to said tank and heated water forced therefrom through said discharge means.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sealing means comprises a resilient annular member mounted on said movable valve member, said annular member being of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said small diameter portion of said valve chamber.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 672,078 Harrington Apr. 16, 1901 951,660 Schuermann Mar. 8, 1910 2,123,814 Summers July 12, 1938 2,903,551 Fisher Sept. 8, 1959 

